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From the start of July 2017 AUSXC has moved to a new hosting platform. The address is the same as before – www.ausxc.com – however if you were a subscriber to the old site or if your browser cache hasn’t been cleared recently you may end up here at ausxc.wordpress.com.

This site will remain here as an archive of content between 2010 and 2017, however no new posts will be added.

The Paddy Pallin Junior cross country ski race at Perisher originally scheduled for Saturday July 1 has been moved to Sunday July 9 due to the current lack of snow. The planned race start is 9:30am, so it fits in before the Cooma Clean out the Waxbox classic race at 11:00am.

The Paddy Pallin Junior has been a Perisher Valley event for many years with records suggesting this is the 59th year. It is one of the OLDEST cross country ski events in Australia and it’s just for the YOUNGEST skiers. It’s a fun ski race (no prizes for first, second and third) where everyone gets a certificate! You can ski in it if you are only two years old or over fifteen, as long as you were under 16 years at 31 December 2016. The distance you ski depends on your age and snow conditions. The older skiers (14/15 year olds) ski up to 5 kilometres, while the younger skiers (3/4 year olds) ski only a few hundred metres.

After the race there will be the usual festivities – fruit drinks, hot dogs and spot prizes – which will be held in or around the Sverre Kaaten Nordic Shelter. When that’s over, there’ll be fun and games, including an on skis jelly snake hunt! Entry is on the day, and there’s no charge. Just turn up to register and pick up your bib at the Nordic Shelter in time to start the race.

The 2017 Sprint X at Lake Mountain has been run & won. Last year’s winners, local girl Katerina Paul and Sochi Olympian Phillip Bellingham put on a powerful display to take out the open 1st places. The Sprint X is an event that was created to target ski enthusiasts who love to sprint but adds plenty of extra challenge not found in normal ski racing, all on artificial snow.

After the sprinting was done everybody joined in a somewhat random Dash for Cash (& other prizes). A very competitive field also gave the judges a tough choice in the ‘Best World Leader’ costume comp, again taken out by Ash Spittle (Kevin 07) with an honourable mention to Nick Montgomery.

The 2017 winter is set to launch this weekend June 24/25 at Lake Mountain with the Sprint-X on Saturday and Fast & Female on Sunday.

The Sprint-X is a fun ski race with jumps & berms in the main village area at Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, and is one of the few events on the cross country calendar with cash prizes. This year’s theme is ‘WORLD LEADERS!’, with the race formats including a Hot Lap, Knock-Out Sprints, and the Flying 50. The Hot Lap starts from 10:30 am, the Knock-Out Sprints from 10:30, with the Flying 50 to be held at 12:15 pm (times subject to change on the day). On the day registration is open at the Fischer Snowsports Centre until 10:25 am. Head to the Lake Mountain Facebook page for more information. Continue reading →

In 2016 the Ski & Snowboard Australia Cross Country Committee (SSAXC) introduced a Low-Fluoro Wax Protocol for club and state level competitions. This protocol will continue for 2017, and essentially involved all participants only using no-fluor or low-fluor glide waxes for these competitions. A 1-page PDF of the protocol can be viewed here: SSAXC Low-Fluoro Waxing Protocol 2017

The aims of this protocol are to:

Create a level playing field and fair competitions that demonstrate the skiing ability of participants.

Reduce time spent waxing so more focus is on preparing for competition.

The protocol requires the cooperation of athletes, coaches and parents, and is similar to waxing protocols that exist throughout Canada and the USA. While it is self-policing, in most cases it will be clear to race organisers if high fluoro waxes are being used. Good communication and education will help make the policy successful and keep costs low to encourage increased participation in our sport.

Please note that this protocol does not extend to Australian Championships or Australian Junior Championships, nor for the Kangaroo Hoppet (including the Australian Birkebeiner and Joey Hoppet), which is an international event.

The Ski & Snowboard Australia Cross Country Committee (SSA XC) is seeking expressions of interest from coaches and managers to work with the Cross Country Skiing High Performance Program at the following events/tours during the 2017/2018 season:

Additional information is provided in the job description linked below. Interested persons should apply via email to SSA Cross Country Skiing Program Director Finn Marsland (finn.marsland@gmail.com) by Sunday June 11, briefly addressing the key selection criteria and supplying a CV. Applicants may be invited to supply additional information and/or to attend an interview. The appointment will be made by a panel appointed by SSA XC.

The 2017 Australian Rollerski Championships were held at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra last Saturday April 8. Australian Junior Team athletes Stella Ajani and Jarrah Forrer each claimed double victories in the open Sprint and Mass Start events. The mass start races in particular saw a lot of close racing and tactics in play. In the U16 categories Lulu Miskin and Robbie Zeilic also made a clean sweep of both events, while in the U12 classes Anvi Gupta, Sarah Champion and Sam Johnson topped the podium. Full results are available in PDF format below.